Silver Lining

A day trip to Lake Rotoiti in Nelson Lakes National Park prompted us to hike up Mount Robert. On its own, the track is a steep 5 hour return trip and should not be taken lightly if you aren’t used to lengthy walks uphill.

The brunt of the walk was bright, sunny, and for the most part, a perfect day. It neatly showcased the park’s scaled mountains, golden fields, and prime jeweled lake. Within minutes of reaching the summit, clouds quickly formed and made haste on devouring the sunlight. At this point, we felt that the rest of the trip was going to be very gloomy with mostly obstructed views, but there is always a silver lining to every situation.

As clouds rose upon the now misty mountain top, everything suddenly changed. It felt like staring at the negative of an undeveloped photo. Giving off its own wondrous glow without adhering to the bounds of any natural color schematic, blankets of vapor began to bend and refract the sunlight, giving way to breaks that illuminated and transformed the very element of our surroundings. Dimming the landscape and revealing pockets of funky hues, the lake dulled into a steel blue mirror covered with hundreds of indigo blemished lacerations. Immediately, the sight squelched any doubt in my mind that the rest of the walk was going to be an overcast letdown. This new weathering completely set a new tone for the rest of the walk. The further we hiked, the more we marveled at how the clouds slowly crept over the hills like a chameleon inducing its transition of colors.

Every once in a while, you need an old experience to be made anew. Thanks to a sudden change in weather, our casual hike at Lake Rotoiti became a reinvigorated walk to remember.